Atlanta Braves Counting on a Big Season from Tyler Flowers
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves are counting on their starting catcher Tyler Flowers to follow up on his career best season and continue to help a young offense. If Flowers were to struggle the Braves lineup could be in trouble.
Many things are going to have to go well for an Atlanta Braves lineup that is void of power threats this season. Including Tyler Flowers following up on his career year with another solid campaign for the Braves.
While Dansby Swanson or Ronald Acuna could be good options down the road it seems that Tyler Flowers will likely at least begin the season helping protect slugger Freddie Freeman.
Freeman will be the Braves one power threat in an otherwise young lineup that is full of speed and line drive hitters.
Flowers has put together two good seasons for the Braves at the plate and is an above average game caller behind it. His ability to be consistent on offense again and help protect Freeman until other young hitters prove themselves capable will be huge to the success of the Braves offense early in the season.
Last year Flowers hit .281 a career best with his second highest homerun total swatting 12 out of the park.
While he won’t have to improve on that for the Braves offense to be consistent early, he will at least have to maintain last year’s level of production.
If he were to struggle it would force more pressure on one of the Braves young hitters or the Braves to opt to put lefties back to back batting Nick Markakis and Freddie Freeman in the 4 and 5 spots.
Neither are good options early in the year. Guys like Flowers and Lane Adams must follow up on the success they found last season if the Braves want a consistent 2018 offense. The Braves pitchers and catchers have reported as baseball gets back underway.